Write. Click. Scrapbook.

Little Black Dress Mini Album

Hello, everyone! I am excited to share some mini madness with you. First, a big thank you to Little Black Dress kit club for sponsoring this week's mini albums.

I have to say that I am fairly new to making mini albums. I have had many mini album intentions over the years, but not a lot of completed projects. I often found the process of filling a whole book (mini, though it may be) intimidating. This month, I have discovered that, 1) mini albums are a great way to tell a longer story, and 2)using a kit makes the process infinitely easier. Because the products are preselected to coordinate with each other, I did not need to overthink what to use for my album. I was able to dig right in with cutting and pasting, and even some painting and misting.

This kit was filled with lots of black and white patterned papers with just the right amount of grunge, that made them perfect for telling a story in which the main characters are all boys. And, since the narrator (me) is female, I also went to town with the buttons, flowers, sequins, enamel dots, stickers, and even vintage epehemera. Seriously, this kit was chock full of goodies.

This album tells one little story from our two week road trip last summer. It is one of those moments that we recount again and again. It is now part of our family lore. While we find it hilarious, it is possible that no one else will. If that is the case, I say to you: "I guess you had to be there."

I used a 5x7 Maya Road chipboard binder album as my base. Oh, and the sunburst mask on the cover? That was in the kit, too! 

There it is. Thank you again, Little Black Dress.

So, if you are at all like me, and feel overwhelmed by the the prospect of making of a mini album, try using a kit to help you though the process. Perhaps you can use your album to tell one of those "you had to be there" stories.

Little Black Dress Week

This week will feature mini-albums made with a kit provided by Little Black Dress kit club.

Welcome, March!

March is here! In like a lion? We're not sure how Mother Nature is greeting you, but we here at write. click. scrapbook. are certainly roaring in a new month with a brand new gallery and a promise of an unforgettable month ahead.

This month marks our third annual March Mini Madness! As we turn our sights and talents to the ever delightful, always beloved mini-album. Over the next four weeks, we will show you 16 new albums, and have four amazing giveaways. We can't wait to inspire you with new prompts and designs.

 

But before we get there, we have a new gallery to show you! With 20 mini-albums to choose from, hopefully you will find one that you want to create! Here are the covers. Hop on over to the gallery album so you can see the interior pages and read the journaling! Enjoy!

 

A Home is Built with Love Alone | Diane Payne

house shaped | materials patterned paper (American Crafts) + embellishments (American Crafts) + stickers (American Crafts)

A Note from Diane
This shape of the mini made me think of the quote about homes being about family and my idea took off from there. I used everyday photos of us together as a family at home from multiple years.

March Fun Fact
I started redecorating my home in January and now I have unfinished projects in every room of my house.

 

Picture Day | Aliza Deutsch

5 x 7 | materials patterned paper (Studio Calico, Little Yellow Bicycle, Jillibean Soup, Echo Park, Pink Paislee) + embellishments (Studio Calico, My Mind’s Eye, Fancy Pants, Ormolu) + stickers (October Afternoon, 7Gypsies, American Crafts)

A Note from Aliza
This book has been in my head for years and years. It is written as a children’s story to be read aloud (I’ve never really done that before!). Every year, at my preschool, at least one child cries on picture day; terrified by a complete stranger coming in telling them what to do, how to sit, and to smile, smile, smile. And then I am always reminded about my son’s first picture day, and I think to myself, I should make a book about that so the children know what to expect on picture day. The timing has worked out perfectly, because picture day is this month.

March Fun Fact
My sister is coming to visit this month! I am so excited!

 

Me & You Mini Album | Katie Ehmann

8 x 8 | materials patterned paper (Crate Paper) + embellishments (Crate Paper) + stickers (Crate Paper)

A Note from Katie
This mini was so fun to make! I used Crate Paper’s Fourteen collection to make a mini focused on the relationship between my husband and me before our girls were born. We did a lot of traveling before we had kids, so many of the photos are from our various trips.

March Fun Fact
For the first time since having children, my husband and I are going on a special trip at the end of this month to celebrate his 40th birthday! I can’t wait to scrapbook it! Oh, and I’m kinda looking forward to the actual vacation, too!

 

Hello World Bucket Mini | Celeste Smith

5.5 x 8.5 | materials kit (Wanderer by Zoe Pearn at Sweet Shoppe Designs) + template (Simple Scrapper Insta Album) + labels (Mega Labels by Amy Wolff at The Lilypad) + font (Underwood Champion)

A Note from Celeste
There are so many places I would love to go and see. I thought I'd document a few in a little mini-album. There are so many travel themed digital kits and since we rarely travel I never get to use them!

March Fun Fact
I'm going on an all out organizing bonanza this month - all drawers, closets and even the basement will be gone through! Wish me luck!

 

Sunshine is My Drug | Lisa Ottosson

3.5 x 3 | materials patterned paper (American Crafts, One Little Bird+Paislee Press) + embellishments (National Ticket Co) + stickers (TGR)

A Note from Lisa Ottosson
This minibook is quite tiny only 3.5 x 3 and holds a few of my Instagram photos that have the hashtag #sunshineismydrug. I made the cover with cardboard scraps I had laying around my room and the pages are hold together with the washitape that you can see on each page.

March Fun Fact
Sunshine is in fact my drug! Last summer we didn't have as much sunshine as usual and I can feel it in my whole body!

 

Early Spring | Jennifer Larson

4 x 4 | materials mini album (Maya Road) + patterned paper (October Afternoon, Pebbles) + embellishments (American Crafts, Crate Paper, Studio Calico, October Afternoon, KaiserCraft) + stickers (October Afternoon, Echo Park, Studio Calico) + pens (Copic, American Crafts) + adhesive (Scotch Dot Adhesive Roller, Glue Dots, Xyron, Tombow MonoGlue)

A Note from Jennifer Larson
I took these pictures last year with the idea of putting them into a mini album celebrating the early spring in Minnesota, which is so late in coming but is so sweet when it arrives. I liked this mini album for its canvas, which I though added some nice, rough texture, sort of like the rough texture of early spring. Now in the coldest parts of winter, I’ve got a mini album I can pull out and page through to sustain me until spring comes for real.

March Fun Fact
I am an avid gardener, something I inherited from my mother, a master gardener. I have five perennial beds in the back yard filled with flowers and more floral borders all around my house.

 

Love Notes | Christine Newman

4 x 6 | materials mini album base (Evalicious) + cardstock (American Crafts, Wausau) + patterned paper (My Mind's Eye) + embellishments (Evalicious, Simple Stories, American Crafts, Freckled Fawn, Studio Calico, Pink Paislee) + stamps (Evalicious, Studio Calico, American Crafts) + ink (Tsukineko, Prima, Ranger) + twine (The Twinery) + digital graphics (One Little Bird Designs) + die-cut machine (Silhouette America)

A Note from Christine
This mini album came together in spurts. I created some pages in January and some in February. Working in spurts here and there for a couple of hours helps me feel like I'm making progress. I really love 4x6 mini albums because I can include some 4x6 photos printed out as is.

March Fun Fact
March is my birthday month! It just so happens that my annual bonus at work is paid out every March on my birthday week. It's almost as if they did this just for me as a birthday gift! :)

 

Family Love | Amy Coose

4 x 6 | materials patterned paper (Studio Calico, Dear Lizzy, American Crafts) + embellishments (Chic Tags, Freckled Fawn) + stickers (Jenni Bowlin) + Silhouette Cameo

A Note from Amy
When I came up with the idea of a mini about our love, I didn't realize how mushy it would get. I love how it turned out, mush and all.

March Fun Fact
I usually don't like doing mini albums, but creating this album was so much fun that I can't wait to make another one! 

 

Utah Vacation | Deb Duty

6 x 6 | materials patterned paper (Studio Calico, American Crafts) + embellishments (Studio Calico, Heidi Swapp, A Flair for Buttons, My Mind’s Eye, Freckled Fawn) + stickers (Studio Calico) + alpha stickers (Studio Calico, American Crafts, Cosmo Cricket, October Afternoon, Basic Grey) + cardstock (American Crafts)

A Note from Deb Duty
I made a mini book with my favorite photos from our 2012 vacation to Utah. The mini is 6”x6” and all photos were printed at 3.75”x3” except for the full page photos which were printed at 5.75”x5.75” so that I could cut them out with a border.

March Fun Fact
Our favorite kind of vacation is one where there’s lots of beautiful scenery and hiking! Every U.S. National Park I’ve been to has been amazing! This mini is about visiting Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park.

 

Wednesday 16.01.13 | Francine Clouden

4 x 4 | materials patterned paper (Making Memories, BasciGrey) + letter stickers (BasicGrey) + chipboard stickers (Studio Calico) + stamps (American Crafts) +chipboard + graph paper tape + vellum + binder rings

A Note from Francine
I made this mini from scratch to highlight the Instagram photos I took of a day at home with Kieran back in January. I printed my photos out at 4x4, and cut chipboard pieces in the same size for the covers and pages. Then I "wallpapered" the patterned papers and photos to the chipboard. To add my journaling, I copied my captions directly from Instagram, printed them out onto vellum, which I then cut into strips and stuck on top the washi tape. I then added additional phrases with the stamp. To complete the book, I punched holes and used binder rings to hold them together. This is a great project for using up scraps and other items in your stash.

Since it is also a sturdy little book with mostly flat embellishments, it's very child friendly! :)

March Fun Fact
I don't much like my handwriting but I use it on 95% of my scrapbooking projects anyway!

 

Tommy Q&A | Paula Gilarde

6 x 6 | materials board book (Unknonw) + patterned paper (Jillibean) + stickers (Jillibean Soup ) + diecuts (Jillibean Soup) + stencils (Crafters Workshop) + digital labels (Katie Pertiet) + digital frames (Katie Pertiet)

A Note from Paula
I've had this blank board book in my stash for ever and decided to finally use it. I asked my son a series of random questions like: 
What would you eat every day if mom let you?
What is the first thing you show your friends when they come to your house? 

It will be fun to look back in a few years to see how his answers will have changed.

March Fun Fact
I grew up in Ireland so I like to celebrate St. Patrick's day with authentic Irish food - lots of potatoes. I've never had corned beef - it's not something we eat in Ireland.

 

Treehouse Mini | Valerie O'Neall

6 x 6 | materials cardstock (GMund Savanna (white), Wausau Royal Fiber (kraft)) + patterned paper (American Crafts, Elle's Studio & BasicGrey) + border stickers (Sassafras) + fabric brads (Basic Grey) + enamel dots (My Mind's Eye) + alpha stickers (October Afternoon) mist (Studio Calico) + Silhouette SD (font: Danger) + other (washi, shipping tags, tiny attacher, baker's twine)

A Note from Valerie
Just a fun, simple little album about the treehouse my husband built for our son this past summer. The white cardstock has a wood grain texture and I love it for this album.

March Fun Fact
Currently slightly obsessed with dipping sweet potato fries in maple syrup. Yum!

 

Play Ball | Jennie McGarvey

8.5 x 6 | materials patterned paper (Echo Park Paper, October Afternoon, American Crafts) + washi tape (Glitz, Freckled Fawn) + wood veneer (Studio Calico, Sodalicious) + mask (Studio Calico) + mist (Studio Calico) + enamel dots (My Mind's Eye) + chipboard (Jenni Bowlin) + tag (Ormolu) + flair (A Flair For Buttons) + alphas (Basic Grey, Echo Park Paper)

A Note from Jennie
This mini album is about my son's All Star baseball season from Summer 2012. I had been wanting to put something together with these instagrams but I hadn't gotten around to it until now. I'm actually pretty glad I didn't because I love how this came together!

March Fun Fact
I am constantly cold for 5-6 months of the year. My ideal temperature is around 83 degrees!

 

Run | Erin Sweeney

8 x 8 | materials patterned paper (Amy Tangerine/American Crafts, Studio Calico) + alphabet stickers (American Crafts)

A Note From Erin
I’m sharing the cover and the two most recent spreads from my race mini album. I’m keeping this album very simple, mainly because I have to – there’s no room for embellishments! I’ve attached the race bibs so that I can slip a tag behind them that includes race time, place, and other information about the race. I’ve kept the backgrounds all neutral since the race photo collages contain so many colors. I’m planning on giving the spreads a pop of color with the title (under the photo) and the race info (under the race bibs). I did the photo collages in PSE and they are 6x6 on 8x8 pages. Since I’m putting the album together in chronological order and the order will never change, all spreads use both sides of the paper except the title page since that one will always be moved as I add a new race. This saves paper as well allows me to use both sides of patterned paper I like. 
I’m also including any extras in the album. My sister and I were in the local paper and I’ve included that. I also have other memorabilia I’ll include in page protectors and pockets. 

March Fun Face
A local diner is open on Friday nights for Fish Fry only during Lent…which means my family will be eating out each Friday until Easter! It’s that good!

 

What Dads Do Best | Kelly Jeppson

5 x 7 | materials patterned paper (My Mind’s Eye) + border stickers, alpha stickers (Doodlebug Design, Inc.) + alphabet stencils + twine (The Twinery)

A Note from Kelly
As I was looking through my photos, I found a bunch of great shots of my husband with the kids. I thought I would put them all together in a little album inspired by a bedtime story we read that is titled, “What Dads Do Best/What Moms Do Best.” After I got finished, I realized that this is also an album all about my husband wearing sunglasses! He has them on in almost every shot.

March Fun Fact
I have spring fever! I want to clean my house and paint a bunch of rooms!

 

Documented | Monika Wright

3.5 x 5 | materials cardstock (Hobby Lobby) + patterned paper, cardstock stickers, decorative tape (My Mind's Eye) + die cut (Sizzix) + ink (Stampin' Up) + stamps (creativityprompt.com) + journaling cards (Becky Higgins, Project Life) + sewing machine, thread

A Note from Monika
As a girl who adores mini albums, I kinda sorta took the low road on this assignment. So many times, I sit in the car and over hear conversations from my girls in the back seat. I THINK that I'm going to remember them, but I don't. And that's where this little pocket | purse mini notebook came in to play. I utilize Project Life cards that can be added to a layout or an album in an instant. Now, when I come to a traffic light, I can quickly jot down the conversation before it's forgotten forever. I just trimmed some kraft cardstock so that the PL cards fit snugly inside and scored some half pockets before stitching it all together on my Mom's vintage Singer sewing machine!

March Fun Fact
The older I get, the less I like winter. Although, I do love wearing cute boots, scarves and turtlenecks... go figure! Oh, and I'm entering my last year in my 40's on the 28th of this month.

 

Hong Kong 2012 I Christa Paustenbaugh

5 x 7 | materials cardstock (American Crafts) + patterned papers (Elle’s Studio) + stickers (Jillibean Soup, American Crafts, Studio Calico, Crate Paper) + die cuts (Elle’s Studio) + epoxy dots (My Mind’s Eye) + wood veneer (Studio Calico) + tape (Target, MK) + stamps (Elle’s Studio) + ink (Jenni Bowlin Studios, Versamark) + embossing powder (American Crafts) + punches (Fiskars) + tags (Elle’s Studio) 

A Note from Christa
We took our first off island trip in November to beautiful Hong Kong. Of course I took hundreds of photos, but wanted to highlight our trip with a few of my favorite photos. I used mostly wallet sized so I could fit as many as possible in the small album. I did not use an album base, but rather papers, die cuts and tabs as inserts for journaling and photos.

March Fun Fact
March in Okinawa, Japan means that the warm, humid weather will start to return and although I’m saying this now, I’ll soon regret it when we are knee deep in July and August – I’m ready for it! Ready for bathing suits, beach time and fun in the water!

 

25 Years of Giving Thanks | Amy Sorensen

6 x 8.5 | materials various patterned paper scraps (mostly Authentique) + stickers (Authentique) + font (Melanie Lane) + tabs (Silhouette)

A Note from Amy
When I took my mini book into the copy store to have the cover laminated and the binding done, the copy-store clerk looked at me a little strangely. "Wait," she said. "This is cute, but why Thanksgiving in February?"
Because I tend to procrastinate, that's why! I wanted to make this mini book back in November, but I got busy doing other stuff and never got around to putting it together. So yep, here I am, making a Thanksgiving mini for the March gallery. This is okay because it means when November rolls around again, I will be completely ready.

March Fun Fact
In the past two weeks I have made five batches of lemon bread. My family can't get enough!

 

When There's Love at Home | Marnie Flores

4 x 3 | materials patterned paper (Authentique) + washi tape (Recollections) + alphabet stickers (Chatterbox) + printables (write. click. scrapbook.) + eyelets, binder rings, plastic bags

A Note from Marnie
Last month, I put together a family Valentine's activity. You can read the details on our Valentine's week, if you missed the original post. I could never have imagined how successful it was going to be. The kids were so excited to leave each other notes. Especially my 14 year old son. He didn't miss a day. We filled the mailboxes and then read them one at a time on Valentine's day. Some of them were high-lair-ee-us. Some were sweet. And some made me cry. And it brought a lovely spirit of kindness to our home that is still there. I really really really feel grateful for the inspiration to create this little project. I hope you might consider doing it, too. Even without Valentine's day.

To put the notes together, I decided to put them in little plastic bags to help make them more readable. I found little snack bags that were 4x6 and then cut down the tops. I punched them with my crop-a-dile and strung them together. I added washi tape to the bottom of the four dividers to help make it a bit prettier and to help separate all the pages.

The journaling cards are for sale in the new wcs etsy shop in all sorts of colors if you would like them!

March Fun Fact
That groundhog told me there are only two more weeks of winter. I hope he wasn't lying. I am done. with. winter. Done. ☺

 

Family Fun | Marnie Flores

8 x 8 | materials patterned paper (Pebbles, Fancy Pants, My Mind's Eye) + journaling pad (Pebbles) + thickers (American Crafts) + page protectors (Doodlebug) + pens (Tombow)

A Note from Marnie
I found this journaling pad and thought it would make for a great mini album. I pulled out all the cards and put them into a general order. Then we all sat round the table and filled them out. I love the little girls printing these days, and am so glad to have their ideas captured in their own writing.
After the cards were filled out, a few were rearranged to better suit what was written. (ie. hadn't counted on three zombie responses, but they so represent things around here right now.) I used three styles of page protectors from Doodlebug which gave me lots of options. You might notice I still need to add in some photos. Now that I know what photos I need, we can do a photoshoot and fill in the blanks.

March Fun Fact
American Idol is in full swing. Can't decide if I think it will be a good one or not. Jury is still out... I do know that I prefer JLo to Mariah...

 

Two more things before we go...

First, are you ready for your brand new cut file! Christine has done it again, making us something so perfect for our theme.

You may download it here.

And lastly, this month we say goodbye to Katrina Simeck and Emily Spahn. They are lovely ladies with radiant spirits. We will miss them terribly. It is so very hard to say goodbye to friends who bring a kind light to our days and who inspire us with their artwork. Thank you, both, for the time you have given us. You will be missed.

Please join us in thanking them for their time here! And we would love to hear from you concerning our mini albums and how much you love them!! Happy March!

My December Daily 2012

Hi, Erin here. And there on the left, that's me and my friend Beth during a recent 5K. Yep, during the 5K. I truly do take a camera every where I go. And that picture is included in Day One of my 2012 December Daily.

My December Daily album is one of my favorite things I do each year. And as with most scrapbooking projects, I'm behind! But I don't mind. Once I start working on it, it seems to come together pretty quickly.

For this year's album, I'm using Crate Paper's Sleigh Ride collection. While I've gotten better at mixing and matching papers, patterns and lines over the last few years, when it comes to a project like this I love to use a coordinating line. For me, it makes the process easier and faster.

My album this year is roughly 6 x 8, with a few different size pages thrown in depending on the day and activity. My pages are actually 6 x 8.5 though, as I'm allowing room to bind it with my Zutter Bind-it-All once it's complete. Which explains why everything is a bit off center.

My Cover

Day One

Left:

Right:

Day 2

Day 4

Happy December Daily-ing!

December Daily Album

Hi Everyone! Katie here with you today and I'm excited to share my December Daily album. This is my first time completing a December Daily and I am loving it! I love pretty much everything about Christmas and have, for the past few years, gone on a total craft-a-palooza before the holiday. A December Daily album helps me to get some of that crafty energy out, and to use all the gorgeous, sparkly, shiny, beautiful Christmas themed supplies!

 

 

Supplies

For my album, I am using the sold out Studio Calico kit, the beautiful Sleighride line from Crate Paper, the vintagey-lovely Make it Merry line from October Afternoon, as well as various items from my stash. I was going for the vintage-sparkly-eclectic look, and I'm pretty sure I have acheived it so far! For the album, I chose Studio Calico's Handbook and divided page protectors. I love the 6x8 size, although I have made so many pages already it is nearly filled! Here's my cover, which I painted with gesso and pearl paint and then embellished.

I organized my supplies onto a tray with small bowls and a wooden crate for easy access.

Planning and Ideas

In planning my album, I turned to my trusty sources of inspiration: Pinterest and online scrapbooking galleries. By searching "December Daily" on Pinterest, I found a bunch of beautiful albums in a variety of styles. Since I was going for eclectic, I took bits and pieces from lots of different albums and put them together with my own ideas and what worked best with my photos. Each day of December, I've been making sure I am taking lots of photos of a variety of activities, from special things like Santa visits and chopping down the tree, to everyday things like coffee cups, holiday movies and decorations. I also made sure to plan a few special Christmas events with my girls, like seeing the holiday lights and hosting a North Pole Party. On the days that we haven't had an event, I've used vintage photos or instagram shots I've captured on my phone.

Pages

I created some of my foundation pages before Thanksgiving in order to make things go a little more smoothly once December began. I only got through day 17, so I'm planning on flying by the seat of my pants until Christmas. I realize this may not be wise, considering how busy that week before Christmas tends to be, but since it is the 17th today and I have no other foundation pages prepared, it'll have to do! Here are some examples of my completed pages so far. My favorite elements are the confetti pockets, the photo collages and the extra little details that add interest to each page.

As you can see, I've been busy enjoying this festive album! You may check out the entire album so far here. So, tell me, are you creating a December Daily this month? I'd love to see it! Leave me a comment with a link to your project!

The Christmas Book of December Days

Hi, it's Amy Sorensen, and I’m starting my post today with a confession:

December Daily albums and I don’t get along.

Don’t get me wrong—I’m an admirer. A fan, even. Of other people’s December Daily albums. I love the concept. I love the notion of capturing the little moments that make December so beloved. I love the thought of all those moments kept in one space.

I just don’t know how anyone manages to ever finish one.

I mean, here it is, only December 5, and already I feel like I’m running out of time before December 25. Only twenty days away! I still have tons of shopping left to do. Neighbor gifts. A family photo shoot. I need to write our Christmas card, make the photo calendar for my husband, and wrap all those presents I haven’t bought yet. Make fudge and caramel, bake sugar cookies and candy cane cookies and minty-triple-chocolate cookies. Help my mom get her tree decorated, figure out stocking stuffers, and find the chocolate oranges without which Christmas would not be Christmas.

I can’t seem to fit much scrapbooking into December. Aside from the photos for the cards and the calendar, Photoshop doesn’t get opened. My supplies get dusty. I get antsy from the lack of creativity. And I am awed by those of you who make (and finish!) December Daily albums.

But I also remain enamored of the concept: capturing little moments, the experiences which add depth and breadth to Christmas but can get lost in the drama of The Big Day.

So I came up with a way to capture little moments. Little tiny moments. This isn’t elaborate; it’s simple and straightforward and quick and entirely doable in the frenetic pace my life takes on in December: 

This is my book of December days. It’s a perpetual calendar for the next ten years’ worth of Decembers. There is a page for each day in December (embellished with a quote about Christmas or the holiday spirit) and a little space to write what we did on that day each year. Nothing enormous, just a small, simple pleasure or two from the day:

 

It fits in a little 4x6 1-up albums I picked up at Target last January on clearance for fifty cents. (I checked; Target still carries them!) Once all 31 days of cards are in the album, there are exactly enough pages left for ten photos (if I use the inside back cover), so each year I’ll slide in one family or absolutely favorite photo from that December.

And that’s it: a simple way of documenting my family’s December in a method even I can manage!

 

I’ve only written in my Christmas book of December days four times (as today is the fifth and who knows what it will bring!), but I’ve discovered an unexpected perk: I’m finding myself paying more attention, watching for the thing I want to include for that day. So far, nothing big or earth-shattering.

(I've even already had to abbreviate!) But I like the idea of slowly filling in the slots, creating a document of little memories I’d otherwise lose.

 

Want to make your own Christmas Book of December Days? Here’s how:

1.   Find six 12x12 sheets of holiday-esque patterned paper that is subtle enough to be printed on. (I used the b-side of THIS Basic Grey paper.) You could use a bunch of different scraps (you’d need a total of 17 4x12 scraps), six coordinating sheets from the same manufacterer, or six of the same pattern. Up to you!

2. Cut each sheet into one 4x12 and one 8x12 piece.

3. Download the PDF printable: Christmas book of december days.

4.  Print pages 1-6 on each of the 6 8x12 pieces you cut in step 2.

5. Print pages 7-12 on the same pieces from step 4, only feed them in the opposite direction. (So you are printing on the bottom, empty space. The direction you feed into your printer will vary depending on your printer.)

6. Print pages 13-17 on each of the 4x12 pieces you cut in step 2. (You’ll have one 4x12 piece left over.)

7. Print pages 18-21 on the same pieces from step 6, only feed them in the opposite direction.

8. Create the cover by using the cardboard insert that comes in the album. Cover each side with the printed 4x6 Title and Intro pages (pages 20 and 21 in the PDF file) and embellish the left over half inch as you wish. (I used the little patterned strip on the paper’s selvage.)

9. Using the piece you have left and whatever embellishments you want, cover both sides of the back cardboard insert. (You'll be using the inside side of this back cover in 2021 for your family or absolute-favorite photo, so plan accordingly!)

10. Stick everything into the album pages.

(The printing is a little bit laborious but it allows you to use every inch of a 12x12 sheet of patterned paper. You can skip steps 4-7 if you have a wide format printer by downloading this 12x12 file instead: Christmas book of december days 12x12, and then just push "print"!)

Another thing I’ve enjoyed so far: flipping through the pages and thinking about how my family might change during the next ten years. What will our lives be like in five or seven or ten years? How will we change? I’m excited to see, and happy to know little pieces of it will be documented along the way.

Thanksgiving Week

We hope that you are enjoying Thanksgiving prep week! With only a week to go, we hope you are finding inspiration and looking forward to your own festivities.

 

On Tuesday, one of finest readers, Sue, left us a comment telling us about an album she made last year from her family's gratitude lists. We loved the idea and wanted to help all of you to make something so wonderful. So Marnie put together a printable for you. It is a 4x6 card with room for a photo and journaling.

First, download the printable. (You may download it here.) We put three on a page to make it easy for you!

Next, print as many as you will need for all your guests. Trim them apart and have them ready for everyone. The grey rectangle is 2x3 and is waiting for a photo, so be sure to ask everyone to smile!

Once you have collected your cards, you can spiffy them up or leave them plain. Once you add a cover, you will have a wonderful memory album!

And, if your family happens to be apart, no worries! Each household could download a page, fill it out, and then send to the designated assembler!

 

Next up, we have an album that will be a Gratitude-In-Pictures album. We put together a set of photo overlays for you that will fit on 4x6 photos. SImply gather photos that fit the themes and then cut and paste the overlays on top. It's a quick and easy way to put together a gratitude mini of another kind.

You may download the overlays here. This is how they will look. (Your photo will take the place of the brown background.) 

 

Marnie put together a few pages for her album to give you an idea of how it will look on your photos.

 

We hope you enjoy these ideas for putting together a shared album and a picture album! We would love to hear if you enjoy them! Thank you! See you for our final day tomorrow!

Thanksgiving Week

Welcome to Day 2 of Thanksgiving Week. Today we are going to look at two mini-albums from our maxi mini-queen, Monika. Both our albums today are ones you can assemble this week and have at your fingertips when Turkey day arrives.

Our first album is one Monika put together using My Mind's Eye products. 

You can see all the details here. (Be sure to click to the MME blog as Monika also prepared a pdf with minialbum tips.) This album is generic enough for more than just Thanksgiving, if you would like it to be. Or make it your perfect album for recording your gratitudes. If you follow Monika's lead to put together a similar album, photos from your Instax would be great to add in right away!

 

Monika put together another album that you can also see at The Crafting Chicks.

Another blank album ready for journaling and photos. This is certainly an album you could pass around the table and ask everyone to sign. And with pages held in with washi tape, you could have a few extras on hand in case your long lost brother showed up and rang the bell just as you sat to dinner!

 

Once your album is done, remember you are not!! Don't forget to get it out and add in the journaling! And while it might violate the spirit of the holiday, you may want to consider filling it out the night before. With all the cooking and hosting and eating and post-turkey haze, Thanksgiving day has a way of slipping away. And Friday begins the countdown to the holidays thereby turning the focus quickly away from Thanksgiving.

So maybe you work on it Wednesday night. Or maybe you make it happen in a quiet moment. Or do it little by little as you have a few stolen moments during T-day. Gratitude journals provide such personal inspiration for later times. You will be so glad that you took the time to fill it out! Journals are just pretty paper collections until they have your words and photos! 

 

Lastly, if you pass an album round the table for all to sign, you have a lovely reason to ask for an accompanying photo... who could possibly resist such a request? Especially from you!

Thank you for stopping!!

Map Week: Maps As Home Decor & Map Grab Bag

I had originally planned our last day of the week with a "Maps As Home Decor" theme, but several team members shared some projects and a tutorial that didn't fit anywhere, so we're going to throw it all in here today so you don't miss any mappy (yes, I just made that word up) goodness.

Without further ado, let's look at some more ways to use maps!

Maps As Home Decor

Paula shared an absolutely wonderful (and simple!) home decor project that I adore:

See that? That's Paula and her husband in map form. Paula covered chipboard people with maps showing where she and her husband are from. (In case you can't read the maps, Paula is from Ireland and her husband is from Boston.) Two chipboard shapes + two maps + a heart sticker + a frame = instant, meaningful, classy, mappy home decor. What could be better?

Map Grab Bag

Let's start this section with a couple of mini-album projects.

First up is a travel mini-album cover that Katie created.

Aren't the layered maps and cameras fun?

Francine created adventure books as party favors for her son's birthday party. The party theme was based on the movie "Up."

I know my kids would love to have received something like this in a goody bag!

Our last grab bag item is a tutorial that Christine pointed us to. This is something for all you digi folks out there! It's a Photoshop tutorial on how to do map shapes on a digi page, along with a FREE template of the U.S. map!

How To Create a Scrap-worthy Map with Photoshop

And Thus Ends Map Week

Thank you to all of you for hanging out with us this week! Be sure to tune in next week when we will have a special Thanksgiving Theme Week put together by the write. click. scrapbook. team!

It's Who We Are

We are scrapbookers. We may use our products to decorate our homes, create cards, or generally make stuff, but what we really do, and love, is scrapbook. Here are some Halloween layouts to inspire you to create your own. Cheesy theme paper not required. Orange and black not required. Photos not even required. Just you and a story to tell or a photo to preserve. Add in some paper and embellishments and an amazing layout is right around the corner!

 

COSTUMES

Celeste

 

Celeste

 

Diane

 

Valerie

 

EmilyS

 

PUMPKINS

LisaO

 

Diane

 

Deb

 

EmilyS

 

EmilyS

 

EmilyS

 

MINI ALBUMS

Remember how Katie made that amazing wall art with the October Afternoon Witch Hazel line? Well, she also put together a Halloween mini album that is awaiting its pictures. Look how amazing this is! Much like a December Daily, but for Halloween. It really is more fun to scrapbook the season beforehand when you are really in the mood. And not after when you have emotionally and mentally moved on! Perhaps Katie's album will inspire you to create your own!

 

And once you have an album for this year, why not make another for years' past like Monika did?

Wow! What a show! What a team! It just doesn't get better! Thirteen ways for you to document your spookiness! Seems like such a good number for the occasion!

Thank you for stopping by! Tomorrow is Thursday AND give.away.day. Yeah, baby. It's going to be a great one! See you then!